Spring lock for a handbag or the like



Oct. 22, 1957 w. H. HARDY 2,810,599

' SPRING LOCK FOR A HANDBAG OR THE LIKE 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1.957

IN N #1222);

BY pg vp 7.9

ATTORNEY If If United States The present invention relates primarily tocatches, locks, and the like, for ladies handbags and similar articlesand more particularly to improvements in such devices and the operatingcharacteristics thereof.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improvedlock or catch structure for ladies handbags.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a lock or catchstructure that is positive in operation and which securely locks thehinged top or lid of a handbag to the body portion thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a lock or catchstructure which is easily operated to release the hinged top and permitthe bag to be opened.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lock or catchwhich is easily and cheaply manufactured and which contains a minimumnumber of parts that are easily and conveniently assembled and attachedto a handbag.

The above and further objects and features of the present invention willbe more apparent in the following detailed description of anillustrative embodiment thereof wherein reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, in the latter of which:

Fig. l is a top view of a substantially rectangular shaped ladys handbagof the so-called rigid type with the lock or catch of the presentinvention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the handbag with the lock of the presentinvention thereon;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the handbag with the lock of the presentinvention thereon;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view taken substantially on line 4-4 ofFig. 2 and illustrating the details of the construction of the lock ofthe present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thehandbag indicated generally by reference numeral 11, to which the lockof the present invention is applied, is of the rectangular or box typeand comprises two rigid parts, a body part 12 and a lid or top part 13.The top 13 is hinged along one longitudinal edge thereof to the bodypart by a hinge 14, and the lid swings upward from the body portion in aconventional manner. The handbag 11 also includes a pair of carryinghandles 16, the two ends of which are pivotally mounted on a suitablepivot 17 in the front and back of the body portion.

While the invention is shown and described as being applied to aparticular shaped handbag, it will be obvious that the invention isequally applicable to any shaped handbag which comprises a rigid bodypart and a rigid cover part hinged thereto.

As shown in the detailed sectional view, Fig. 4, the catch of thepresent invention includes a lock member 18 which may be of similarmaterial, although not necessarily so, as the handbag itself, such asLucite. The lock member 18 in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention is substantially round and has the lower end 19 thereof formedoutwardly so that a surface 21 is provided at an angle to atent Q2,810,599 Iatented Oct. 22, 1957 the main portion thereof. The surface21 may be at an angle of approximately 45 to the main surface, and itspurpose will be more apparent hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 5, the lock member 18 has formed therein somewhat abovethe center of the member a pair of through holes 22. Above the two holes22 are formed a pair of recesses 23 which extend from the back side ofthe lock member to a point approximately half the thickness thereof.Another recess 24 is formed in the back side of the lock member in thelower half section thereof which is located somewhat above the anglesection 21.

The lower section 12 of the handbag has in the fronttop edge thereof aso-called nose 26 which may be secured to the lower section by extendingthrough the front and being riveted or headed over as at 27 on theinside of the bag. The nose 26 is circular in cross-section and theexposed section thereof on the outside of the bag extends a slightdistance therefrom and is somewhat smaller in diameter than the diameterof the recesses 24 in the lock member.

The lock member 18 is secured to the lid of the bag by means of rivets28 extending therethrough and being headed over, as at 29, from theinside of the lid. The diameter of the body section of the rivets 28 issomewhat smaller than the holes 22 through the lock member, and the lockmember is permitted to rock a slight amount on the rivets to move thelower end of the lock member toward and away from the nose 26, as willbe more fully set forth hereinafter. A washer 31 or other suitable meansis placed on the rivets 2% to space the lock member a slight distanceaway from the front of the lid section, and compression springs 32seated in the recesses 23 tend to pivot the lock member about the rivetsin a counterclockwise direction.

With the structure of the present invention the springs 32 tend to pivotthe lock member in a clockwise direction about the loose mountingthereon on the rivets 23 and thus place the recesses 24 thereof inengagement with the end of the nose 26 to lock the bag in a closedposition. To release the lock to permit opening of the bag, a slightpressure on the lock member above the rivets 28 pivots the same in acounterclockwise direction and moves the recesses 24 out of engagementwith the end of the nose 26 and permits the bag to be opened. With thebag in an open position, on closure thereof the upper edge of the noseengaging the sloping surface 21 pivots the lock member 18 against theaction of the springs 32 until the bag is in a closed position at whichtime the recess 24 is opposite the end of the nose 26 and the springs 32rock the lock member back into the locking position such as that shownin Fig. 4.

Thus in accordance with the invention there is provided an extremelyefiicient and positive catch or lock for a ladies handbag of the generaltype disclosed in the drawings that is positive in its lockingoperation, and which can readily be released to permit opening of thebag. Furthermore, the lock of the present invention requires nooperation on the part of the user in locking the bag in a closedposition as its locking function is automatic on the closing of the bag.

While the invention has been described in but a single preferredembodiment thereof and as being applied to a specifically shaped andtype of bag, it will be obvious that it is applicable to various othertypes of bags and that various modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes of the invention, andit is desired therefore that only such limitations be placed thereon asare specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lock for a handbag or the like comprising two superimposedmatching edged substantially rigid frame members hingedly connectedalong one coextensive edge thereof, a plurality of spaced apart rivetsrigidly supported in and extending outwardly from the first one of saidframe members and in a plane parallel to the matching edge thereof, alocking member loosely supported on said rivets and rockable thereonabout an axis parallel to the hinged connection of said frame members,said locking member being held on said rivets by heads on the outer endsof said rivets, resilient means spaced above said rivets holding saidlocking memberagainst the heads thereof and tending to rock said lockingmember about said loose mounting on said rivets to move the inner faceof said locking member toward the outer surface of the second one ofsaid frame members with said frame members in a closed position, arecess in the inner face of said locking member opposite the outersurface of said second frame member, a nose stud in the outer surface ofsaid second frame member and adapted to be engaged by said recess tolock said frame members in a closed position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and including the rocking ofsaid locking member on said rivets against the action of said resilientmeans to disengage said nose stud and recess to permit opening of saidhandbag.

3. In a lock for a handbag or the like comprising a rigid recessed lowerbody section and a superimposed rigid recessed cover or lid sectionhingedly connected together along the back edges thereof, said sectionseach having a front surface in a substantially common plane with saidhandbag in a closed position, a plurality of outwardly extending spacedapart rivets rigidly supported in the front of said lid section abovethe lower edge thereof and in a plane parallel to the aXis of said hingeconnection, said rivets having enlarged heads on the extended endsthereof, a locking member loosely supported on said rivets and spacedfrom the front of said lid section, a stud rigidly supported in andextending from the front of said body section, a recess in the lowerinner face of said locking member adapted to engage said stud to locksaid lid in a closed position, a resilient member disposed between the 5inner face of said locking member and the front of said lid sectionabove said rivets,

said resilient member holding said locking member against the heads ofsaid rivets and tending to rock said locking member to engage the recessin the lower section thereof with said stud with said sections in aclosed position and to hold the inner surface of said locking memberagainst the lower outer edge of said cover section with said tion.

handbag in a closed posi- 4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 andwherein said locking member in response to a pressure applied to theouter face of the upper section thereof rocks on said rivets against theaction of said resilient member to move the recess in the inner face ofthe lower section thereof out of engagement with said stud and permitopening of ing of said lid on said body,

said resilient member being operative to rock said locking member in theopposite direction to engage said stud and recess when said lid is in asubstantially closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

